Joplin tornado 10 years later: ER doctor recalls treating injured in church parking lot
Dr. Ken Stewart worked at St. John's Medical Center, but couldn't get to hospital because of debris from tornado
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Updated: 6:48 PM CDT May 18, 2021
Joplin tornado 10 years later: ER doctor recalls treating injured in church parking lot
Dr. Ken Stewart worked at St. John's Medical Center, but couldn't get to hospital because of debris from tornado
Share
Updated: 6:48 PM CDT May 18, 2021
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HE STILL SAVED LIVES THAT NIGHT. THAT NIGHT DOCTOR KENT STEWART. JUST WANTED TO GET TO WORK. IT WAS THE BLACKEST UGLIEST THING. I’D EVER SEEN WITNESSED IN MY LIFE. AND I WAS NOT AWARE AT THE TIME THATHE T TORNADO WAS WIPING OUT JOPLIN. HE’S NOW ON THE FACULTY OF KANSAS CITY UNIVERSITY, B ONUT THE NIGHT OF MAY 22ND 10 YEARS AGO. HE WAS FRANTICALLY TRYING TO FIND AN OPEN STRTEE TO GET TO WORK AT SAINT JOHN’S MEDICAL CENTER WHERE HE WAS EMERGENCY ROOM MEDICAL DIRECTOR THE HOUSES AND EVERYTHING WERE JUST WIPED AWAY. HE NEVER MADE IT TO WORK THAT NIGHT TOO MANY STREETS WERE FULL OF DEBRIS. BUT HE GOT AS FAR AS THIS CHURCH AND HE WENT RIGHT TO WORK IN THE PARKING LOT. PEOPLE WERE COMING OUT OF THEIR HOUSES. I COULD SEE WALKING WOUNDED AND I COULD SEE PEOPLE BEING CARRIED ON. MAKESHIFT STRETCHERS, YOU KNOW DOORS AND THAT KIND OF THING AND ONE OF THE FEW STRTUUCRES THAT WERE STILL STANDING WAS A WILDWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH THE IN JUESRI FROM CUTS AND BRUISES TO CASES FAR MORE SERIOUS A LOT OF PETENRANGTI FOREIGN BODIES, YOU KWNO GLASS PENETRATION STICKS DEBRIS, YOU KNOW THE FIRST PATIENT I TOOK CARE OF WAS A WOMAN WHO’S UNCONSCIOUS. SHE HAD A TWO BY FOUR THAT WAS IMPALED IN HER PELVIS. SO, YOU KNOW IS ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE I HAD THE TRAINING AND SKILLS TO KNOW WHAT TO DO. I JUST DIDN’T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO DO IT SOON PARAMEDIC SHOWED UP SO THAT AN ER NURSE FROM KANSAS CITY AND CHOPPERS LANDED TO CARRY AWAY THE MOST SERIOUSLY HURT. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT MAY 22ND THIS YEAR WILL BE LIKE FOR YOU. IT’LL BE JUST ANOTHER DAY. BUT HE GOT THROUGH THAT NIGHT ON SK